Thai Panang Curry with Chicken

Warm and comforting Thai Panang Curry with Chicken is a rich and nutty curry sauce that uses creamy natural peanut butter, panang curry paste, and coconut milk. This mild panang curry is prepared in just 30 minutes in the Instant Pot, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. Better yet, this recipe is made with chicken, although it can also be made with vegetables, tofu, pork, or beef.

Chicken Panang Curry is probably something you've ordered for takeout from a Thai restaurant but never thought to try at home. Let me tell you, it's so easy to make, especially in your one pot electric pressure cooker.

This panang curry sauce gets its unique and nutty flavor from natural peanut butter as well as lime juice and a little bit of fish sauce. It's similar to some of my other Easy Thai Recipes like Pad Thai, Thai Massaman Curry Chicken, and Thai Basil Fried Rice.

Thai panang curry is a very rich and creamy curry when compared to other curries since it has more coconut milk or cream in the sauce. It uses panang curry paste, which has ingredients like dried chilies, shallot, garlic, lemongrass, makrut (kaffir) lime zest, and often shrimp paste. Panang curry sauce is different from other red curries thanks to its use of unsweetened natural peanut butter, kaffir lime leaves, and coconut milk or cream.

Ingredients Notes

• Panang curry paste: I like the Maesri Brand Panang Curry Paste. It's the base of this rich, warm curry sauce and has ingredients like dried red chilies, lemongrass, shallot, garlic, ginger, shrimp paste, and kaffir lime zest
• Unsweetened full-fat coconut milk: Full-fat coconut milk is essential to any panang curry recipe to make that creamy sauce. You can also use coconut cream if that is what you have on hand.
• Boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs: I'm using chicken in this panang curry, but you could just use vegetables and tofu to make it vegetarian panang curry or use other proteins like beef and pork.
• Unsweetened natural creamy peanut butter: This ingredient makes panang curry unique when compared to other curry recipes.
• Fish sauce: Optional to use, but it gives the panang curry a salty, slightly fishy, umami that is so delicious.
• Brown sugar: Adds a hint of sweetness to the peanut butter and intense spices of the panang curry paste.
• Soy sauce: Adds the saltiness to the curry sauce that highlights all of the many ingredients in the sauce.
• Lime juice: Is the acidic ingredient that brightens the flavors to make every flavor in the curry paste more vibrant in taste.
• Vegetables: Onion, red and yellow bell pepper are the base vegetables to go with the chicken. The peppers add a nice natural sweetness to the sauce.
• Kaffir lime leaves: These are optional, but if you can find them I highly recommend using them. They infuse the sauce with a warm, bright lime flavor that makes panang curry special. If you can't find it, the Maesri red curry paste has kaffir lime zest in it.
• Thai basil leaves: a unique ingredient, Thai basil is different from regular basil in that it is spicier with a hint of licorice flavor.

How to Serve Chicken Panang Curry

This authentic chicken panang curry recipe has a luscious and creamy sauce that is perfect over jasmine rice. I have the easiest jasmine rice recipe that is also made directly in the Instant Pot.

This jasmine rice recipe cooks the rice in half of the time, is hands free, and gives you perfectly cooked rice every single time.

Storing

Store the panang curry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat over medium heat in a skillet on the stove for a few minutes or heat in the microwave for a couple of minutes until warmed through.

For more such recipes, you can check the official collection here: https://ministryofcurry.com/

You may also like this related recipe: https://hospitalitycareerprofile.com/food-recipes/indian-breakfast/instant-pot-brown-rice-chicken-biryani

Notes

For a milder curry start use only 2 tablespoons of curry paste.

Kaffir lime leaves can be difficult to find, which is why they are optional in the recipe. If you can't find kaffir lime leaves, don't worry, the Maesri Panang curry paste has kaffir lime zest in it.